SJCPLS @ Your Doorstep

Letter from the Library Director

Debra Rhodes Gibson, Library Director

St. Johns County Public Library

The options for library services are abundant but one-size-fits-all is not necessarily the “best” service approach for all St. Johns County residents. With six library branches and three bookmobiles throughout the county, there should be a library location close to you. But what if you can’t get to us? Well, check out our Books-by-Mail program.

Books-by-Mail (BBM) is a service that provides books and other library materials to library users of all ages who are homebound or unable to visit their local library or bookmobile for a variety of reasons. SJCPLS offers the BBM service for the convenience of browsing the library’s collection from the comfort home and at your leisure.

Take the Florida Broadband Speed Test

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is encouraging residents take the Florida Broadband Speed Test to assist in identifying opportunities for expansion of broadband services in Florida. This anonymous one-minute test may be completed on any device with internet or cellular connection, from any location. Results will populate immediately and the data collected from your internet’s speed test will be displayed on the Florida Broadband Availability Map in real time. For more information, visit Florida's Broadband Availability Map and Internet Speed Test.

In addition, St. Johns County has developed a Broadband Initiative Survey for residents and businesses to determine the internet needs of our community. You can help us identify unserved and underserved areas by filling out the corresponding short surveys:

Books-by-Mail

SJCPLS offers the Books-by-Mail service for the convenience of browsing the library’s collection from the comfort of home, at your leisure for when life's other obligations are too time constraining to allow time to visit a library in person. Library cardholders may sign up for this service by filling out an application. Once accepted, you'll be able to receive the Books-by-Mail red bag of library materials right to your doorstep. Items may be returned free of charge to any SJCPLS library or bookmobile or sent back in the same red bag via USPS at the same postage rate the library pays. Homebound patrons may be eligible for free mail postage after filling out a Certificate of Eligibility. For more information about Books-by-Mail, visit www.sjcpls.org/book-by-mail.

Library Job Fair

Come chat with us about working in a library! The Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN) is hosting a job fair for those who are interested in learning more about the wide variety of careers available in local libraries from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, at the Thrasher-Horne Conference Center on the St. Johns River State College Campus, 283 College Dr., Orange Park, FL.

Staff from public and academic libraries representing Clay, Duval, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties will be available to speak with you regarding the job opportunities they have in their libraries. These positions range from those requiring a high school diploma to a graduate degree. Registration is required and participants are asked to bring a resume. For more information or to register, visit the NEFLIN Library Job Fair webpage.

The Big Library Read Returns

Join the Big Library Read digital book club! From Nov. 2 through 16, you can borrow the ebook or audiobook of "A Snake Falls to Earth," by Darcy Little Badger, with no holds or waitlists through the Libby app. This Newbery Award-winning title draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave an unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family.

The Big Library Read is an international reading program that connects millions of readers around the world with an ebook through public libraries. Readers can participate in an online discussion about the book on the Big Library Read website.

Hoopla Bonus Borrows Are Back!

Mark your calendar! Hoopla Bonus Borrows return in November with new themed collections! Numerous top titles are available across formats, and titles checked out do not count toward your monthly lending limits. So even if you're out of borrows for the month, there's no end to the reading, watching, and listening you can do with the Hoopla Bonus Borrows Collection.

Start browsing

November Holiday Closures

In honor of the national observance of the Veterans Day holiday, the St. Johns County Public Library System will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11. All locations will resume normal operating hours on Saturday, Nov. 12.

In addition to the Veterans Day holiday closure, SJCPLS will also close on Thursday, Nov. 24, and Friday, Nov. 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday. All locations will reopen on Saturday, Nov. 26.

Book drops will remain open during all closures and our virtual services such as ebooks, downloadables, and databases are available 24/7.

Stay connected with us!

St. Johns County Public Library System | www.sjcpls.org